The 2025 Busan Indie Connect Festival (BIC) saw a record-breaking 280 titles on display. Naturally, the crowds followed suit, resulting in lengthy queues for the most anticipated titles. It seems the recent successes of various indie titles have certainly piqued public interest.

I’ve identified four distinct trends at this year’s BIC. We’re seeing a surge in charming character designs regardless of genre, a spike in titles steeped in Korean and Eastern aesthetics, and a noticeable decline in both character-collection mechanics and mobile-first development. Do bear in mind, these are trends specific to BIC 2025 and aren't necessarily a universal rule for the entire indie development landscape.

Charming Characters, Whatever the Genre

One of the most persistent trends lately is the influx of cute, eye-catching characters appearing in titles where you wouldn't typically expect them. While anthropomorphic animals and gacha-style characters were staples before, BIC 2025 showed that developers are pouring immense effort into visual design even as the subculture genre's presence wanes.

Puzzle games like 'Anota', 'Where is the Red Ball', 'Luna Hop', 'Spookitchen', and 'Gugu Pizza' lean heavily into adorable animal designs. Meanwhile, titles like 'Pungbi Baksan', 'Lunaraxia', 'Moonlight Pocha', and 'Dodori' feature animation-style protagonists or core characters. Some developers noted that creating these cute designs provides a much-needed morale boost—not just for the players, but for the creators themselves.

Titles drawing from Korean or Eastern culture are on the upswing. We’ve moved past the era where Western fantasy or generic slice-of-life settings dominated the indie scene. This year, the sheer volume and genre diversity of these culturally-themed works were quite impressive.

Standouts included the hide-and-seek game 'Gwi-Gwi-Sal-Jeon' based on Korean folklore, the pixel-art adventure 'National Exorcist Association', the Japanese colonial period drama 'The Newspaper of That Day', and the school-horror 'Purgatory Flower'. One developer mentioned that the choice was driven by a genuine passion to explore their own historical interests through game design.

Previously, BIC was a hotspot for subculture games that relied on collecting attractive characters. Often, these titles differentiated themselves from corporate giants through unique art styles or by stripping away standard RPG tropes. At BIC 2025, however, these titles were scarce. While there were plenty of games with attractive character designs, the 'collection' mechanic itself has largely fallen out of fashion.

On the other hand, the appetite for action roguelikes that encourage replayability remains insatiable, and visual novels—often less taxing to develop—are holding their ground. Rhythm games have also made a splash, with titles like 'Dodori', 'Noise Canceller', 'Pungbi Baksan', and 'Platina Lab' drawing eyes. Interestingly, many of these rhythm titles pair their gameplay with sleek, adorable female characters to keep the audience hooked.

A trend that has been intensifying since last year is the waning presence of mobile games in the indie market. Of the roughly 280 exhibits, only about 20 were mobile-exclusive. While many games supported both PC and mobile, the priority was clearly skewed toward PC, with mobile ports often treated as an afterthought.

Furthermore, many mobile indie titles that graced BIC last year were noticeably absent this time around. Even the BIGEM 4th batch of supported titles were predominantly PC and console-focused. It’s a reflection of the player base, who increasingly prefer PC and console experiences. A side note: the number of games compatible with the Steam Deck has visibly increased, which is a welcome shift.